Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday urged the people of Phulpur constituency to vote for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll in the state.

"Goddess Laxmi sits on a lotus, and it is the lotus which will bring development of Phulpur," he told the crowd at a public meeting in Allahabad.

Lotus is the election symbol of the BJP.

Representational image. AFP

"The people of Phulpur had given me a winning margin, which was even greater than Pandit Nehru. My appeal to you is that (BJP candidate) Kaushalendra Patel's victory margin should be greater than my victory margin," he said.

He claimed that in less than an year, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has began to take the state on the path of development.

"As an MP I had sent proposals of a number of developmental schemes pertaining to Phulpur to the previous government headed by Akhilesh Yadav, which were blocked.

"Today, the government has changed, and schemes are being implemented on the ground. The foundation of Sangam Mega Food Park has been laid, which will definitely double the income of farmers," Maurya asserted.

Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha constituencies were vacated by Chief Minister Adityanath and his deputy Maurya respectively, after they became members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Voting for Lok Sabha bypolls there will be held on 11 March, while counting of votes will be held on 14 March.